First off, this is definitely the best buy short scale bass. For the money, you won?t find a better bang for your buck.
Warwick RB short scale would surely be better, and I think that the ultimate semi-affordable option would be the Chowny SWB-1, but at the 250 EUR range, the Ibanez TMB-30 is the best choice.
The construction quality is decent, woodwork is generally ok, but nothing to be excited about.
My bass has a factory error, the hole for the J pickup is routed 3-5 millimetres too low so the strings don?t align properly with the pickup. Other than that, the fret ends could have been filed a bit more, but I?ve seen a lot worse.
My biggest disappointment is in the electronics. After only a year of light use, the volume pots started crackling which become annoying to the point of unsuitability. I had to buy and solder new ones. The tone pot feels ok so I didn?t touch it. Also, the input jacks has a habit of unscrewing itself, like in a lot of Strat-like jacks. I hate that. A standard side mounted jack would be so much better. Ibanez really wants us to use straight cable jacks apparently.
The sound is as expected. Cheap PJ with a fatter tone due to the short scale. Although the bass is pretty versatile and can accommodate a lot of styles. It can pull off a decent slap tone with new strings. The thing that bugs me though, is that there is constant acoustic rattling while playing. It?s not fret buzz, it?s the pups and wires in the body that vibrate. I didn?t put a lot of effort into it, but I didn?t find a quick way to solve that problem, and It?s really annoying when playing it dry in the dead of night. Amplified, I?d say it doesn?t affect the sound much, maybe a little on certain notes.
On the positive side, I simply adore playing it. The neck feels great, and this bass made me a big fan of the short scale. I?m looking into medium scale (32??) for my next bass, but I would always like to have a 30? bass in my arsenal. I can definitely play faster on the shorter scale, and it makes you play a bit differently. It?s hard to explain, other than to say it?s very enjoyable.
Overall, I like the Ibanez short scale Talman, but didn?t fall in love with it. After long consideration, I decided that it wasn?t worth investing in new pickups and other hardware. But you might feel differently.
Because of the affordable price, I would strongly recommend this bass for anyone.
It might be an easier option for a guitarist looking to play a bit of bass without too much finger strain. It?s a good choice for a total beginner. And it?s a great deal for any experienced bassist who wants to try out the shorter scale and see how they like it.
Bottom line: Cheap but groovy!
